List of counties in Illinois
There are 102 counties in the state of Illinois. Most counties in Illinois were named after early American leaders, especially of the American Revolutionary War, as well as soldiers from the Battle of Tippecanoe and the War of 1812. Some are named after natural features or counties in other states. Some are named for early Illinois leaders. Two counties are named for Native American tribes, and one bears the name of a plant used as a food source by Native Americans. Even though Illinois does not have a Lincoln County named after its favorite son, Abraham Lincoln, it does have a Douglas County named after his political rival Stephen A. Douglas. It also has Calhoun County, named after John C. Calhoun, outspoken for his southern views in the years preceding the American Civil War. Many of the counties are named after Southerners, reflecting the fact that Illinois was for a short time part of Virginia, and settled in its early years by many Southerners. No counties are named after Northern heroes of the Civil War, mainly because the counties were almost all named before that war. The state even has a Lee County named after the family of Robert E. Lee, who at one time served in Illinois. Illinois also has a singular distinction of having two counties named after the same person, DeWitt Clinton. Information on the FIPS county code, county seat, year of establishment, origin, etymology, population, area and map of each county is included in the table below. Illinois's postal abbreviation is IL and its FIPS state code is 17. Counties Note: the links in the FIPS County Code column are to the Census Bureau info page for that county. | region_seat_width = 155px | region_seat_title = County seat | region_seat_ref = | data2_width = 100px | data2_title = Established | data2_ref = | data3_width = | data3_title = Origin | data3_ref = | data4_width = | data4_unsortable = yes | data4_title = Etymology | data4_ref = | population_ref = | area_ref = }} physician, local businessman and longtime member of the state legislature | Population=677560| Area=837| Size=60px}} |} Defunct counties * Dane County was renamed in 1840 to the current Christian County. * The original Knox County, Illinois, became extinct with the formation of the Illinois Territory in 1809 - or, more precisely, it became Knox County, Indiana. The modern Knox County, Illinois was formed much later and was not a part of the original Knox County. See also * List of census-designated places in Illinois * List of cities in Illinois * List of Illinois townships * List of precincts in Illinois * List of towns and villages in Illinois * List of unincorporated communities in Illinois * National Association of Counties * National Register of Historic Places listings in Illinois Notes References * * External links * Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files * Illinois Association of County Board Members * Illinois Association of County Officials * Illinois City/County Management Association * Counties Illinois, counties in